The subliminal whispers on this EP’s first track, “Kai Koh,” leave you awash in a sea of pliping and wahbing bass, and producers Christian Bei
Variable Unit Handbook for the Apocalypse
Live hip-hop? Stop rolling your eyes and open your ears. VU proves that organic can be a healthy alternative. “Handbook for the Apocalypse” finds Azeem speaking on signs of the times over a sweeping guitar/acoustic bass/keyboard arrangement. The b-side’s “We Are at War” features SF turntablist hellion and DJ Quest cutting over a laid-back jazzy groove.
Kardinal Offishall with Pharrell Williams Belly Dancer
If Mad Lion were Canadian (and still making records), he’d be Kardinal Offishall. “On Belly Dancer,” Mista KO from TO spits his patois-peppered rhymes over a sizzling Middle Eastern-flavored bashment track by the Neptunes (thought they told you that they won’t stop). Buy doubles and run the riddim under a capellas for dancefloor madness.
Mystic No Competition
“Pull a baller?” That’s a threesome with their ego. Mystic brings the realness for would-be suitors (and, yes, sucker MCs) over a rock-guitar-fueled beat by Native Tongue collaborator Supa Dave West. The Oakland songbird proves once again that femininity does not equal weakness. The flip, “That’s Right,” is a mellow manifesto produced by underground king Ge-o.
Black Panther Presents…Suicide
Horny for evil? Brooklyn DJ-turned-producer Black Panther hosts Pumpkinhead and C Rayz Walz on this dark double-sider. Pumpkinhead’s tune, “Suicide,” opens with frenetic scratching over a dark track accented by lush horns (RZA?). On the flip’s “Expand 2,” lifelong activist and vegetarian C Rayz blazes a hyper-intelligent flow (GZA?) over 32nd-note hi-hats and sinister strings.
7L & Esoteric Do It
Today’s special? White Rapper Beef. “Do It” is the answer to Cage’s “Haterama,” a one-verse Internet-only diss of battle vet Esoteric. On Cage’s alleged drug use: “I know he does helium before he does flows.” 7L crafts the perfect beat for Eso’s verbal venom, but this record will be most enjoyed by fans familiar with this feud.
Augustus Pablo Pablo In Fine Style
It seems like there will always be “unreleased,” “rare” and “undiscovered” Augustus Pablo tracks to release, and it’s easy to believe that Pablo In A Fine Style is just more of the same. Pressure Sounds has found a sweet enough selection of rare 12″ and 7″ grooves to make you realize that more of the same can be a good thing-the minor-key “Up Warika Hill” alone will quiet doubters. Listening to extended versions of the same track-with differences mainly involving instrumental drop-outs and reverberations-can be a little much for the casual listener to really notice. But fans of both Pablo and sparse dub will be happy.
Various Artists Richard Dorfmeister Presents: A Different Drummer Mix
Who better to handle the task of selecting cuts from Birmingham’s Different Drummer than Kruder & Tosca’s other half? Dorfmeister delves into a stellar back catalog, taking you on a subdued journey via tracks by G-Corp, Noiseshaper, Original Rockers and more. Dub is the glue that binds these tracks together-whether the beats are house flavored, reggae-inflected or straight downtempo, echoes and reverberation pacify the rhythm. Warm and blissful with a taste of skank, this thing’ll make you want to take a plane, boat or car to get to the next Different Drummer party.
Burnt Friedman & The New Dub Players Can’t Cool
From the opening moments of Can’t Cool, Berlin-based Burnt Friedman’s fourth long-player, you can sense that he’s broadened his horizons even further and that the album is going to be funky as shit. From the slow dub jams to the fractured and minimal beats The Nu Dub Players understand the use of space in rhythm, and each instrumental part envelops its own musical position. Like earlier releases, the influences of Lee Perry’s psychedelic mix-down techniques and King Tubby’s booming atmospheres are strong in Friedman’s work, but there is a Delta-fried blues presence in the sincere vocals of guests Don Abi and Patrice. As Friedman’s journey to defy categories continues, we listeners luck out on his expansive tastes.
Various Artists Future Sounds of Jazz 9
The most admirable aspect of Compost’s FSOJ series is its diversity; each installment delivers a different version of the shape of jazz to come. Packaged with a swanky 3-D cover (glasses included), number nine is relentlessly infectious. The alternate versions of musical reality range from a slightly neo-soul slant to airy downtempo, jazzy rides, uptempo broken beats and seriously soulful vocals. Ultimately, the album’s mix of electronic and organic drums is what makes it special-it’s like a musical cyborg built from the best scraps that jazz and electronic music have to offer. Every Compost release makes me want to run out and buy their next one.
